Water Insecurity Tops African Concerns: 61% Unhappy With Government Service Delivery

Access to clean water ranks among the most pressing policy priorities for African citizens, according to Afrobarometer surveys spanning 38 countries.

A majority of respondents express dissatisfaction with their governments’ performance in delivering safe drinking water and sanitation servicesa sentiment that deepens among rural populations and economically disadvantaged communities.

The Rankings

On average, water supply ranks third among the issues Africans want their governments to address, trailing only:

• Health

• Unemployment

It ties with education, the rising cost of living, and infrastructure development.

Country Variation

Concern varies significantly by country:

• 57% of Guineans cite water as a top national challengeoutranking all other issues in Guinea, Chad, Benin, and Mozambique

• Virtually no respondents in Seychelles share this perception

The Urban-Rural Divide

Geography and economic status heavily influence both access and perception:

The Economic Divide

The poorest respondents are:

• Least likely to live in areas served by piped systems (40%, compared to 77% among the most economically secure)

• Most likely to depend on alternative sources like boreholes (51% vs 28%)

Government Performance

Only 39% of citizens overall believe their government is adequately providing water and sanitation services.

Approval rises sharply with economic status:

• 26% of the poorest respondents rate government efforts positively

• 60% of those experiencing no lived poverty rate efforts positively

The Bottom Line

Water insecurity is a top concern across Africa. Rural and poor communities are hardest hit. And only four in ten Africans are satisfied with their government’s water and sanitation services.

Geography, poverty, and service delivery intersect to shape public trustand the gap is wide.